Two Kinds of Righteousness

There are two kinds of righteousness that matter to Christians: positional righteousness and experiential righteousness. Positional righteousness refers to the believer’s legal standing before God, achieved through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Cor 5:21). The moment a person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, God declares that person righteous on the grounds that God’s perfect righteousness has been credited to their account (Rom 4:5-7). God gives His righteousness to one who believes in Christ as Savior. The Apostle Paul describes this as “the gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17). It’s a free gift from God to us. This righteousness is not our own, which is relative to whatever standard we might follow, but God’s righteousness deposited in us. Paul also calls it “the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9). When God looks at us, as Christians, He sees His righteousness in us and declares us justified in His sight (Rom 3:24, 28; Gal 2:16). This righteousness is unchangeable and eternal because it depends entirely on Christ’s finished work (John 19:30) and God’s grace (Eph 2:8-9). And it cannot be given back to God after it’s been received, for all God’s gifts are irrevocable (Rom 11:29).

Experiential righteousness refers to the believer’s daily life and conduct as they grow in spiritual maturity and obedience to God’s Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; Jam 1:22; 1 Pet 2:2). Often called practical righteousness, it involves living in a manner consistent with the believer’s positional righteousness. Scripture instructs us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph 4:1; cf. Col 1:10; Phil 1:27). Experiential righteousness is empowered by the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16-25) and involves making choices that align with God’s moral standards as revealed in Scripture. The degree of experiential righteousness varies among believers, depending on their spiritual growth, volition, and discipline in applying God’s Word to their lives (Rom 6:13; Jam 1:22). In this sense, all believers practice relative righteousness, as some live more “rightly” than others (1 Sam 24:17; Jer 3:11) due to their greater knowledge and adherence to God’s Word.

Our practical righteousness is never perfect because we still possess sin natures (Rom 13:14; Gal 5:16; 1 John 1:8) and continue to commit sin (Rom 7:15-25; 1 John 1:10; 2:1). As Christians, “If we say, ‘We don’t have any sin,’ we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Moreover, “We all stumble in many ways” (Jam 3:2), and “Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Eccl 7:20). However, as we grow in spiritual maturity, we will sin less, though we will never become sinless (i.e., totally without sin). As maturing Christians, we increasingly reflect God’s Word in our lives, manifesting greater righteousness in our thoughts, words, and actions. Our experiential righteousness grows as we learn and apply God’s Word, aligning our values with His (2 Tim 3:16-17). This pursuit of righteousness is not aimed at gaining favor with God but is a response to His grace. We serve the Lord out of gratitude for all He has done for us, motivated by our understanding of His love and mercy. The result is a life marked by integrity and priorities that align with God’s values.

Sadly, though some Christians possess God’s gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), eternal life (John 10:28), and the assurance that they will never face the lake of fire (John 5:24; Rom 8:1), they succumb to arrogance, operate by negative volition, and live according to their sinful natures. Instead of walking by the Spirit (Gal 5:16), they adopt the philosophies and values of Satan’s world system (1 John 2:15-16) and are “conformed to this world” (Rom 12:2). These are carnal Christians (1 Cor 3:1-3), who grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30), yield to the flesh (Gal 5:17-19), and live in opposition to God. Scripture calls such believers “adulteresses” and “enemies of God” when they align themselves with the world’s values (Jam 4:4). These carnal Christians are constantly under divine discipline, as “the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son whom He receives” (Heb 12:6; cf. Prov 3:11-12). Their carnality leads to the forfeiture of eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:15; 2 John 1:8) and can even result in premature physical death under the Lord’s judgment (1 John 5:16; cf. Lev 10:1-4; Acts 5:1-10; 1 Cor 11:30). Though eternally secure in Christ, they waste their spiritual potential and fail to glorify God in their earthly lives. Experiential righteousness is foreign to these Christians, and they are a blemish on the church.

Let us be Christians who operate in humility, walking by faith, and seeking to live in a manner that pleases God (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6). Let us learn and live God’s Word (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; Jam 1:21-22), being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) and confessing our sins as needed to maintain fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9). Let us be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16), and manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives (Gal 5:22-23). We should also “walk in love” (John 13:34-35; Eph 5:2), and “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything” (1 Th 5:16-18). Let us perform good deeds (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:10), advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Such lives glorify God (1 Cor 10:31) and edify others as we use our spiritual gifts in service to the body of Christ (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Pet 4:10-11). Let us press on toward this high calling, remembering that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor 15:58; Phil 3:13-14).

Dr. Steven R. Cook